“Ruuuuun!” Argus yelled, his voice frantic.

  Without another thought, we turned and bolted, adrenaline flooding my veins. We ran like we were being chased by death itself, feet pounding the ground, heart racing in my chest. The distant headlights of a passing truck gave us brief cover—its light shining on the empty road and the horrifying thing that had followed us.

  When we were finally far enough, we slowed down, gasping for breath, our legs shaking beneath us.

  “You… you saw it, didn’t you?” I managed to wheeze, still trying to catch my breath.

  Argus grinned, but there was no humor in his eyes, only a flicker of unease. “Well, you couldn’t exactly avoid it, right?”

  My chest tightened, and I nodded. “I swear, her face—she was all bones, like a skeleton, but still had those matted, dirty strands of hair. It was like something out of a nightmare.”

  “Yeah. Definitely a ghost. But damn, what an experience.” Argus chuckled, but the laugh didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Can’t believe we saw something like that.”

  Our friend, who’d been quiet until now, snapped at us. “You guys are insane! Forget about it already, okay? Let’s just go home and act like it didn’t happen!”

  Argus and I exchanged a glance, then burst into laughter. It felt like the only thing to do.

  ---

  Days passed, and the day of our field trip finally arrived.

  “Have you got everything, kids?” Sister Carmel asked, her voice warm but firm. “Check the bulletin board to see which bus you’ll be riding.”

  I walked over to the list, scanning the names, but something was off. My name wasn’t on it.

  “Sister, I can’t find my name anywhere,” I said, frowning.

  She raised an eyebrow and grabbed the clipboard. “Let me see,” she said, flipping through the pages. “Oh, it looks like the coordinator missed you. Let’s see if there’s any space on the buses.” She turned to the drivers, but they all shook their heads, signaling they were full.

  “Not to worry, my dear. We’ll just take my car instead. You can ride with me,” Sister Carmel said, giving me a reassuring smile that didn’t quite ease my unease.

  “Miss, could you help out with the bus that was supposed to be mine?” she asked one of the teachers.

  I couldn’t help it—an uneasiness settled in my gut. “Uh… okay.”

  “Don't worry, dear. It’ll be quite the ride,” she winked at me, making me even more uncomfortable.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  After some awkward goodbyes, I helped Sister Carmel load her things into the car, and we left the campus behind, beginning our journey.

  ---

  At some point during the drive, I realized I’d fallen asleep. I wasn’t sure when it had happened—one moment I was staring out the window, and the next, I was floating.

  It was strange. It always felt like I was conscious, like I wasn’t asleep at all. But I couldn’t be sure.

  I was in that same dark, empty space, floating again. The oppressive silence stretched on, and I knew—I knew—something was watching me. There was an almost tangible weight to it, as if something ancient and powerful was waiting.

  “I know you’re there somewhere,” I muttered, my voice barely a whisper, hoping for some response.

  The darkness split before me, and enormous eyes appeared—eyes like nothing I’d ever seen. Hollow, yet filled with a deep, unsettling presence. They were fixed on me, and the pressure that came with them was suffocating.

  “Who… What are you?” I asked, my voice trembling despite myself.

  The eyes seemed to stare through me, as if trying to tear apart something deep inside. The force of their gaze was more than I could bear, but I didn’t feel afraid. It was strange—it wasn’t threatening, but it was intense, like something old and powerful was studying me.

  Then, the eyes closed. Suddenly, the space around me shifted, and a single streetlight flickered on, casting long shadows. A man stood in its glow.

  I took a hesitant step forward, the nervous tension still tight in my chest. Am I dreaming? I thought. If I am, I should be able to control it. I’m aware. I should be able to fight back.

  Instinctively, I raised my hand, concentrating. I imagined fire erupting from my palm, aiming it at the stranger. To my surprise, flames flickered to life in my hand.

  “I don’t want to hurt anyone—or… whatever you are,” I muttered, holding my hand out.

  The man tilted his head, a slight smirk forming on his face. “Impressive, as always.”

  I stiffened. “Who are you?”

  “I’ve been watching you for a long time, Zeke,” he said, his voice both calm and strange. “Do you remember me?”

  I felt a chill crawl down my spine. “Are you the same guy… from when I was a kid?”

  The man smiled knowingly. “You remember then. Yes, it’s me.”

  “I’ve been watching you ever since,” he continued. “I’ve been… amused, I suppose.”

  “Why? And what do you want from me?” I demanded, suddenly feeling more uneasy.

  “Curiosity, at first. But that’s not why I’m here now,” his tone shifted, growing more serious. “I’ve come to warn you. There’s danger coming. Others are after you, too.”

  “What do you mean? Who are you talking about?” I asked, bewildered, the weight of his words crashing down on me.

  “There’s no time. I cannot say more. Just know this: prepare yourself. The time will come soon enough.”

  With that, his voice echoed in my ears, and before I could react, the darkness swallowed me whole.

  ---

  “Child, wake up!” Sister Carmel’s voice cut through the fog of my mind, pulling me from the depths of sleep.

  I blinked, disoriented, and sat up quickly. The car was stopped. Sister Carmel was already outside, gesturing for me to join her.

  “We’ve got a flat tire,” she said, her voice calm but firm. “It seems like we’ve driven into a rough spot. Come on, help me out.”

  I stepped out of the car, my legs still heavy from the strange dream, and took the jack from the trunk. When I saw the tire, though, my blood ran cold. It wasn’t just flat—it was shredded, like something had torn it.

  “What the hell?” I muttered, kneeling to get a closer look. The rubber was ripped to shreds, but there was no sign of anything sharp we could’ve hit. “This doesn’t make sense.”

  Sister Carmel stepped closer, her gaze scanning the surroundings. “Look closely, child. This wasn’t an accident.”

  Suddenly, a laugh echoed through the trees—a sharp, high-pitched, menacing sound that sent a chill through me.

  “Stay close to me,” Sister Carmel’s voice was low, but there was a steel edge to it. She was on high alert, her eyes darting around. “This is no coincidence.”

  Before I could say anything, the bushes rustled, and a muscular man stepped out of the shadows, a grin plastered across his face.

  “We don’t want trouble, just give us what we want and we’ll let you go,” he sneered, his eyes locked on us.

  Sister Carmel stood her ground. “What do you want?” she asked calmly.

  “Money, things of value. Your organs would be a nice touch. The black market loves fresh stock,” the man said with a twisted grin. “But first, we deal with you.”

  I felt a cold shiver run down my spine.

  “Stay close, child,” Sister Carmel warned me, her tone now cold and resolute. “This isn’t just a robbery anymore. It’s a fight for our lives.”

  Before I could respond, the muscular man lunged toward her, but Sister Carmel moved with a speed I didn’t know she possessed—her hand twisted his wrist with a fluid motion, sending him sprawling to the ground.

  I froze, wide-eyed. I had no idea she could move like that.

  “What are you doing?!” she snapped, her voice hard as steel.

  “Impressive,” came the voice from behind. Another man, his movements agile and fluid, pulled a gleaming knife from his coat.

  “Stay back, Jester,” the muscular man growled, pulling himself to his feet. “I’ll handle her.”

  “Let’s make this fun!” the knife-wielder—Jester—chuckled darkly.

  Then, before I could react, the air around me seemed to shift. The man—Jack, I realized—lunged for Sister Carmel. But his form shifted—his skin became pale, grey, almost like he was draining of life.

  Vampires. Sister Carmel muttered the word under her breath, and suddenly, everything made sense. This was no ordinary encounter.